"Little Salt, why are you getting an IV drip?...Are you sick?...How's work?...Boyfriend..."
"Auntie... please don't call me Little Salt... Xiaoxiao... you have a cold... how are your studies going?"
"Got first place in the exam...orphanage...weekend...flower..."
"You're still called Shi Luhua... Hahaha... He's... furious..."
Vaguely, Lexi heard someone approaching, seemingly talking to the woman who had been on the phone beside her. The voice sounded like an elderly woman, very loud and disruptive.
Stop making noise! It's so annoying! Even my brother isn't appearing in my dreams anymore! Lexi wanted to jump up and shout, but she couldn't make a sound. Her body felt heavy, and she didn't want to open her eyes. She just sank into an even deeper dream.
Little Salt and Lu Zhishen
"Doctor, come quick!" Yan Shuang interrupted Shi's mother. She looked at the boy sitting beside her; his eyes were tightly closed, his face was pale, and cold sweat was pouring down his forehead. She reached out and patted the boy's face, trying to wake him, but he wouldn't budge. His hand was wet and cold to the touch, and she was startled.
"What's wrong?" The doctor rushed over, looked at Le Xi slumped in the chair, and after a quick examination, said, "He's probably exhausted." He told the nurse to make room for the patient in the bed while helping him sit up. Unfortunately, the thin old man didn't have much strength in his hands, and Le Xi leaned weakly on his shoulder, almost causing them both to fall over.
"Aru! Come here, help the doctor!" Shi's mother hurriedly helped Lexi up and called out to Shi Lu, who was chatting with a neighbor outside the ward.
"Mom, what are you yelling about again?" Shi Lu poked her head in helplessly, looking at her mother with a worried expression. This retired senior teacher had no manners whatsoever, shouting all day long, acting just like a neighborhood women's director.
"Come quick, someone has fainted!" Shi's mother said urgently.
Shi Lu quickly walked over, took the boy from his mother's arms, and, following the doctor's instructions, lifted him and placed him on the hospital bed. The boy was very thin, and felt a little uncomfortable in her arms; he was very light and weightless. As Shi Lu placed him on the bed, she accidentally bumped into the IV stand. The boy groaned softly, and Shi Lu looked closer. Hmm? He looked familiar.
"Your body is too weak, and your heart isn't very good either. How could you adjust the IV drip rate so fast?" the doctor scolded the nurse in a low voice—thankfully, it wasn't a relapse, otherwise it would have been troublesome.
The nurse explained with a wronged expression while helping the doctor perform basic first aid on Lexi. After a moment, Lexi slowly opened her eyes, looked at the ceiling with some confusion, and then laboriously turned her head, her dark eyes meeting Shilu's.
A fleeting look of vulnerability crossed her face, then she gently closed her eyes, her long eyelashes trembling slightly, like a frightened little animal clutching its clothes at its chest. Her hands, resting on her chest, had long, slender fingers, and her arms were pale and delicate, with faint blue veins visible beneath the skin.
"Is there anything else that's bothering you?" The doctor took out his stethoscope, listened carefully, and asked Lexi in detail.
"I feel a little short of breath," Le Xi answered honestly, his voice soft and weak. The doctor gestured for the nurse to bring over an oxygen pillow. Le Xi felt uncomfortable during the intubation and turned his head away in resistance, which annoyed the doctor. His mother came over, took Le Xi's hand to encourage him, and spoke to him softly, which calmed him down.
"Are you a freshman at school? How did you get sick so carelessly? Poor child, running so far from home with no one to take care of you." Shi's mother reached out and touched Le Xi's forehead, smoothing the hair that was damp with sweat and stuck to his forehead. The warm, calloused hands felt just like her own mother's, and Le Xi suddenly felt a lump in his throat.
Under the influence of the medication, Lexi quickly became drowsy, but he didn't sleep very soundly. Midway through his sleep, he felt someone dig him out of bed and into a warm embrace. Someone said to him, "Come on, open your mouth and take your medicine so you'll get better faster!" The person's voice was harsh and stiff. Lexi reluctantly opened his mouth to take the medicine and was then forced to drink a large glass of water. Then he seemed to hear someone asking the nurse for a hospital gown. Soon after, he was manipulated. Someone grabbed his arm and changed his clothes, the movements were clumsy, and his wrist hurt. He frowned and groaned. After the clothes were changed, he was wrapped in a blanket, and his body suddenly felt light, as if he was being lifted up and placed on the sofa. Soon after, he was carried back. The sheets beneath him seemed to have been changed, dry and warm.
After all that fuss, Lexi finally fell into a deep sleep, but Shilu, forced by his mother to take care of the patient, was very unhappy. He'd just been scolded by his mother for feeding the little guy his medicine, who said, "Your attitude is so fierce, it's not like you're coaxing a patient to take medicine!" Yan Shuang chimed in, adding fuel to the fire, saying he wasn't gentle at all and didn't know how to cherish a woman. He rolled his eyes speechlessly, thinking: Cherish a woman? Please, look closely, this is a boy, okay? Do you think everyone is as perverted as you, you fujoshi! But he only thought about it; he didn't dare say it aloud. He knew his mother had recently been "corrupted" by Yan Shuang and had started liking Lee Joon-gi and Yamashita Hisashi. Sigh, she's hopeless.
"Hey little flower, you really have no compassion at all these days!" Shi's mother suddenly said to her son. She was quite pleased to see the veins bulging on her son's forehead.
"Mom, how many times have I told you! Don't call me Hua Hua!" Shi Lu glared at his mother through gritted teeth. This old lady, even at her age, still had the same wicked sense of humor, liking to give people random nicknames, claiming it was to improve relationships. She probably thought of him as her student.
"What's wrong? You dare to argue with your mother? I'm just calling you that in front of Xiaoyanba! If you dare to give your mother a hard time again, I'll call you that in front of everyone next time!" Shi's mother said with a sinister smile.
"Hua Hua! You've finally met your match!" Yan Shuang pointed at Shi Lu with her finger, her fingertips trembling uncontrollably, her expression a mixture of suppressed laughter and barely suppressed amusement.
The nickname "Huahua" (Flower Flower) originated from when Shi's mother was pregnant with Shi Lu. Shi's father was from Shandong, so naturally, he named his son Shi Lu. Shi's mother, however, had prepared a whole host of very literary names for her son, leading to an argument between the couple over the name. Later, as Shi Lu grew up to be quite chubby and strong, Shi's mother's rich imagination led her to directly associate him with Lu Zhishen, the "Flowery Monk" from the classic novel *Water Margin*. Thus, Shi Lu inexplicably acquired the affectionate nickname "Huahua."
Shi Lu was quite disgusted by this form of address, so his mother only used it occasionally when teasing her son. However, after Yan Shuang learned of it one time, she became quite uncontrollable in using it.
Yan Shuang was Shi Lu's classmate for nearly ten years. Although this woman had a very "cold" name, she was actually quite a gossipy person. There's a saying, "Calm on the outside, restless on the inside," which perfectly describes her. Their friends couldn't believe that they hadn't developed a marital relationship after ten years of being classmates, and no matter how Shi Lu explained, it was to no avail. But Yan Shuang's concluding remarks left everyone speechless.
The gist of what he said was this: of course, it had to be accompanied by Yan Shuang's serious expression, his signature move being a cold laugh, pushing up his gold-rimmed glasses, and saying calmly, "Do you know how many kinds of relationships there are in modern times? Actually, they can be summarized as kissing relationships, sexual relationships, and no relationship. Shi Lu and I haven't even reached the point of kissing, so how could there be the other two kinds of relationships? Even if we did have a kissing relationship, can you imagine what it's like when we kiss?"
A collective chill ran down their spine.
Le Xi didn't fully wake up until nearly evening. The IV drip had long since finished and the needle had been removed. He raised his hand to look at the bruises on the back of his hand, then at the hospital gown he was wearing, and for a moment his mind went blank. After thinking for a while, he still couldn't remember what had happened while he was asleep, so he sat up to change his clothes.
Her clothes were soaked with sweat and wrinkled. Le Xi frowned, reluctantly put on her clothes, tied her shoelaces, stood up and tried them on, and felt they were okay.
As soon as he reached the ward door, he saw "Little Salt" standing there smoking. When he saw Lexi come out, he said to him, "You're awake? I thought you were still asleep. How are you? Has your fever gone down?"
Yan Shuang continued talking to herself as she reached out her hand. Le Xi hesitated for a moment, then unconsciously took a step back. Yan Shuang raised an eyebrow: "Are you afraid I'll eat you? Come on, let me check your forehead temperature and see if your fever has gone down."
Le Xi blushed and stood obediently with his head down like a child who had made a mistake, letting Yan Shuang touch his forehead: "Hmm, the fever has gone down."
“Yes, thank you,” Lexi said. “Thank you for taking care of me this afternoon.”
Yan Shuang waved her hand dismissively, "Why thank me? Thank Aunt Shi instead. She took care of you this afternoon. She just left to go home and cook. Come on, she just called and said if you wake up, we can go to her house for dinner together."
Le Xi paused for a moment, then hesitated and said, "But..."
"But what? Let's go!" Yan Shuang came over and pulled him, taking his hand and dragging him forward. "Aunt Shi is a retired teacher from the school. When she was still a teacher, many students ate at her house and were taken care of by her. If you don't go, she will be very disappointed."
Just as she was being pulled out the door, she saw Shi Lu leading Xiao Xiao over. Upon seeing Yan Shuang, Xiao Xiao asked in a strange tone, as if she had just learned to speak, her words unclear: "Is Little Salt a monster? Does it eat people?"
"Go away! How dare you call me 'Little Salt'? You have no manners! Who told you I'm a monster!" Yan Shuang said to the little girl with an angry expression.
"You're a fujoshi? Do fujoshi like to eat spoiled food, that's why you're called a fujoshi?" the little girl said, oblivious to the danger.
"Who told you I'm a fujoshi?!"
I won't tell you!
"Xiaoxiao, tell me and I'll buy you chocolate!"
"You still want to eat? You've gained weight again, you need to lose weight!" the little girl said defiantly, her expression like that of a serious adult, scrutinizing her from head to toe.
"Shi Lu! You're teaching the kids bad things again, aren't you?!" Yan Shuang glared at Shi Lu with gritted teeth.
Shi Lu laughed until he was internally injured, holding his breath and looking at Yan Shuang with a calm demeanor, shaking his head: "No... I didn't say... It's just that children have too rich imaginations..." As he spoke, the corners of his mouth kept twitching.
"Hmph! You flowery monk! Lu Zhishen! Don't think you're so great!" Yan Shuang retorted, not to be outdone. The two then started bickering, finally noticing Le Xi who had been left standing to the side. Shi Lu stopped and turned back to call out to him, "Hurry up and catch up!"
Mother's children
Hurry up and catch up!
Hearing this, Le Xi was somewhat stunned. The figure before him overlapped with the shadow of the person who had smiled at him like the sunshine in his life. Bathed in the setting sun, the figure before him was illuminated and enveloped, as if draped in golden light, both real and unreal. Le Xi felt his eyes sting and lowered his head, giving a self-deprecating laugh.
"What's wrong?" Yan Shuang turned around and nudged the little girl beside her. "Xiaoxiao, go! Go and take your brother's hand so they can walk together!"
Dinner was dumplings, with three kinds of fillings: carrot and vermicelli, chives and egg, and pork and celery. It was the first time Lexi had ever eaten carrot and vermicelli dumplings, and she was very curious. When she ate them, she would always take a small bite and then bring the dumpling close to her eyes to look at it, as if she was studying the ingredients inside.
"Eat well, Xiao Le." Shi's mother smiled and put a few more dumplings on his plate, saying, "You're not even as good a eater as Xiao Xiao. Eat more so you can stay healthy, otherwise you'll always be sick."
"Oh! I understand." Le Xi blushed and ate her food obediently. When she first entered this house, Le Xi was very uncomfortable and didn't even know where to put her hands and feet. But later, under the influence of Shi's mother's enthusiasm, she gradually opened up and slowly participated in their conversations, and even played games with Xiao Xiao.
During their conversation, Lexi learned that Xiaoyanba's real name was Yan Shuang, and she worked for an investment company, which claimed to generate tens of millions in revenue on her own. However, her dream was to own a rental bookstore, so she partnered with a friend to open one, selling comics, novels, and magazines that college students enjoyed.
"You have to work and run a shop at the same time, can you manage?" Le Xi asked Yan Shuang when they sat together after dinner.
“Just hire some help! It’s right near the school, so it’s easy to find students to work part-time,” Yan Shuang said to Le Xi while munching on a chicken foot braised by Shi Mama. “The bookstore business is mainly busy during the time students are getting out of class and leaving school; it’s relatively quiet at other times. So you don’t need to worry too much. If you look around the shops near the school, they’re all busy during those times.”
Le Xi nodded thoughtfully, about to say something, when Yan Shuang's phone rang again. She answered the phone, said a few words, and then raised her voice: "Are you kidding me? More overtime! I've been working overtime for a whole week already!"
Before she could finish speaking, the other party seemed to have hung up the phone. Yan Shuang grumbled as she put away her phone, grabbed her clothes, said goodbye to Shi's mother who was cutting fruit in the kitchen, and hurriedly prepared to leave. Le Xi also made an excuse that it was getting late and she had to go back, thanked Shi's mother, and prepared to leave as well.
"Aru, see Xiao Le out." Shi's mother handed the trash bag to Shi Lu, then said a lot to Le Xi before opening the door to see him out. She even watched them go downstairs from the doorway.
It was getting chilly after nightfall, so Lexi pulled her coat tighter around herself. Once outside, Lexi suddenly found herself with nothing to say to Shilu.
“Your mother is a good person,” Lexi broke the silence, then paused and added, “You are too.”
"Is that so?" Schru smiled.
"Yes. You even showed me the way that day."
"Oh, you still remember." Le Xi hadn't mentioned it, and Shi Lu thought he had forgotten.
"Yes. I remember." Le Xi nodded. He could always remember even the smallest kindness others had shown him. His mother had once said that a drop of kindness should be repaid with a spring of gratitude. At that time, he was just a little boy and didn't quite understand the meaning of this sentence, but he knew that he had to be doubly good to those who were good to him.
Having run out of things to say, after a long silence, Lexi said again, "Your daughter... is very cute..."
"My daughter? Who is that?" Shi Lu wondered, when did she have a daughter?
“Xiaoxiao! Could she be…” Lexi wanted to say, “Could she be your sister?” but then thought it was even more impossible.
"Xiaoxiao? She's a child we sponsor. She only comes to our home on weekends. She has hearing problems. Apparently, it was damaged when she was born because of a fever and injections. Haven't you noticed that she always tilts her head to hear people talk? And her speech isn't very fluent either. It's because of her hearing problem that she started learning to speak after getting hearing aids."
"Really?" Lexi was a little surprised. She suddenly remembered that after her mother passed away, she had stayed at Qi Hui's house. At that time, Aunt Lan had been very kind to her. Her grandmother had even said, "Lele, Aunt Lan is a very good person. You must repay her kindness in the future."
But how did I repay them in the end?
"Le Xi?" Shi Lu asked tentatively. In the dim light, Le Xi's expression was somewhat sad, his eyes flickering as if the entire night sky had been lost in his gaze.
"Huh? Ah, I've arrived." Le Xi looked up with a dazed smile, but to Shi Lu, the smile was full of helplessness. She pointed to the building in front of her: "I live on the third floor. Come visit sometime."
Mrs. Shi joined a senior citizens' art troupe called Qianziqiao, and she went to the troupe for rehearsals three nights a week. When Lexi went out in the evening, she happened to run into Mrs. Shi and several other elderly ladies walking out together. Mrs. Shi was wearing a black practice uniform, carrying her dance shoes, and chatting with the elderly ladies with a radiant smile.
Lexi suddenly remembered Aunt Lan. Aunt Lan used to love dancing. Although she wasn't a professional dancer, she was quite well-known in City C.
Why do I always think of the past because of the people and things in front of me? Le Xi felt a little helpless. These memories often plunged him into pain and confusion from which he could not extricate himself, just like a person who likes self-harm, knowing that harming the body will bring pain, but indulging in it and even taking pleasure in it.
Shouldn't we forget about it? Didn't we promise to live a good life?
Lexi shook her head, trying to put those strange thoughts behind her.
"Xiao Le!" Shi's mother greeted him warmly, her voice loud and clear, which made the old ladies around her turn around and look at him.
"Auntie..." Le Xi smiled shyly at the group of elderly women. The women's chatter continued to fill her ears.
Whose child is this? She's so beautiful, it's heartbreaking.
Such as these.
"Xiao Le, why don't you go watch Auntie's rehearsal? In a couple of days it'll be our art troupe's fifth anniversary! We're planning to record a DVD. Could you go and give us some feedback?" said Shi's mother.
"But I don't understand anything..." Lexi looked at the old ladies with difficulty.
"It's okay if you don't understand, just go and take a look. It'll be good for you to cheer us old ladies on!"
"Mom!" Shi Lu appeared out of nowhere, glanced at his mother, and said with a hint of helplessness, "If they don't want to go, then they don't want to go! Just entertain yourself!"
"Hmph! It's one thing if you have no artistic talent, but Xiao Le isn't like you! Big and burly, like Lu Zhishen!"
"Mom! Are you ever going to stop?!" Shi Lu glared, almost jumping up. What kind of mother talks to her son like that?